Lysiak runs through snow storms and heavy downpours. However, he says the toughest is the ice.

“Earlier this year I ran after a storm and it felt like I was ice skating,” he said. “I walked outside and thought, this might be the day I can’t run. But I ran. And it was just real slow.”

Lysiak says he doesn’t warm up or stretch before running, or follow any particular diet that helps him.

“I drink beer and I like to eat donuts. A lot,” he says.

He also says he hasn’t had any kind of sickness other than a stuffy nose.

The epic running streak ranks as the 549th longest active in the United States, according to the USRSA. But Lysiak has a long way to go if he wants to reach the top of the list. The longest current streak is 17,495 straight days and counting.

Asked if he had any advice for other people who might be interested in starting a running streak of their own, he said not to focus on a streak, just worry about taking that first step.

“I know one thousand day sounds overwhelming. I really try not to think about it as a streak. Or even 5.5 miles. Some days I feel like crap and I really don’t want to run. But I tell myself I just need to do one day at a time and that begins with that first step, than the next, and before long those steps turn into miles, and step by step those miles begin to pile up,” Lysiak told the OSN.

“That isn’t just advice I use to motivate myself to keep running, but how I try to live my life,” added Lysiak.